The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-06-09
A Piece of Red Calico.

"oo SOAAS AAuO VOWA LIZ tlO
morning, when my wife handed me a
little piece OF. red calico. and asked me
If l would have time during the day to
buy her two yards and aihalf of calico
like that. I assured her that it would
be no trouble at all; and putting the
piece Of calico in my pocket. l took
the train for the city - ~
At lunch time I stepped into a large
dry goods store to attend to my wife's
commission I saw a we'll dressed
man walking the. floor between the
counters, where long lines of girls
were waiting on much longer lines of
customers, and asked him where !
could see some red calico.
This way, sir" and he led me up
the store. 'Miss Stone, ">said he to a
young lady, ''show this gentleman some
red c~alico.'
"What shade do you wantP" asked
Miss Stone.
l showed her the little piece of calico
that my wife had given me. She look
ed at it and handed it back to me.
Then she took down a great roll of red
calico and spread 1t out on the counter.
"Why, that isn't the shaded" said !.
mo, not exactly" said she; ''but it
Is prettier than your sample"
"That may be-" said I; ''but, you
see, l want to match this piece. There
is something already made of this kind
of calico, which needs to be made
larger, or mended, OF something. |
want some calico of the same hadesassgS
The girl made 40 answer. hut took
| down another f0lL. Es
That's the shade. = snifss flss
yes I.yp1ied, s'but it's striped. =
~~ssaare worn more then any,
- else in calicoes, = ssld she.
Eyes; but this isn't to be worn, IT'S
for furniture, I think. At any rate. 1
want perfectly plain stuff to match
something already IN USE"
''Well, / don't think you can find it
perfectly plain, unless you get Turkey
red
What is Turkey-redp" I asked.
"Turkey-red is perfectly plain in cali
coes,' she answered.
,''Well, let me see some"
"We haven't any Turkey-red calico
left she said; but we have some very
nice plain calico in other colors.'
81 don't want any other color. I
want stuff to match this" --
ats hard to match cheap calico
like that" she said, and so I left her.
L next went into a store a few doors
farther up Broadway. When I entered
l approached the '.foor-walker," and,
banding him my sample, said:
"Have you any calico like thisP"
Eyes, SIR" said he. Third counter
to the right"
l went to the third counter to the
right, and showed my sample to the
salesman in attendance: there. He
looked at it on both sides. Then he
said:
1--WE haven't any of this"
THAT gentleman said you had,"
said r. - H. - =
''We had it, but we're out of it now.
You'll get that goods at an uphol-
sterer's.
I went across the street to an uphol-
sterer's.
''Have you any stuff like thisp' 1
asked.
NO." said the salesman, 1--WE havn't.
Is it for furnitureP"
"Yes," I replied.
''Then Turkey-red is what you want"
'Is Turkey-red just like this?' l
asked,
NO" said he, ''but it's much better.
"That makes no difference to me-" L
replied. Il want something just like
this"
but they don't use that for furni-
ture,' he said.
II should think people could use any
thing they wanted for ~furniture,p' 1 re-
marked somewhat sharply.
"Thev can, but they don't" he said,
quite calmly. "They don't use red
like that. They use T~urkey-red."
D I said no more, but left. The next
place l visited was a very large dry
goods store. Of the first salesman I
saw I inquired If they kept red calico
like my sample.
you'll find that on the second story"
said he. i
l went upstairs. There T asked a
mar:
'Where will I find red ~calicop"~
LII Ii AuA AOOA W tA0 IC1ts Night
over there" And he pointed to a dis
tant orner ~.
I walked through the crowd of pur-
chasers and salespeopie. and around
the counters and talebs filled with
goods, to the far room to the left.
When I got there I asked for red cali
co. ~'- ~ ~EE,.
1.-THE second counter down on this
side," said the man.
I went there and produced my sam
pie. p
"Calicoess downstairs" said the man.
"They told me they were up here"
I said. s I. - $50.
'sNot.these plain goods. You'll find
'em downstairs at the back of the store,
over on that side"
+ went downstairs to the back of the
store.
'.Where'll I find red calico lik thisp''''
I asked.
Next counter but one said the
man addressed, walking with me in the
direction pointed OUT.
"Dunn, show red calicoes.n
Mr.. Dunn took my sample and looked
at it.
I'VE haven't this shade in that quail
ity OF goods he said.
well, have you IL in any quality Of
gOOdsp' / asked.
Yes; we've got It finer.n And he
took down apiece Of colico, and In
rolled 9 yard or two ct II on the coun-